Category Archives: Just for fun

Sanibel Tolls, 10 things to know!

April 20, 2016 admin Leave a comment

Sanibel Tolls,

If you do not have a few minutes to read the following post about the Sanibel tolls and the surrounding areas, consider this a QuickStart Guide to the toll charges and info for the Sanibel and Captiva Causeway.

Tolls for Cars: $6

Tolls for Motorcycles: $2

Bicycles are Free

Larger vehicles: $3 per axle

There is no charge to leave the island.

The causeway is open 24/7/365

You can use the statewide Sunpass transponder but you will be charged the full amount. Discount passes are available for locals at The Leeway Center.

If you do not have money or a transponder you can choose to go through the toll without stopping. Your license plate will be photographed and a bill will be sent to you for approximately $10. If you are in a rental car, the rental company may charge additional fees for collecting the payment.

Bicycles are allowed over the causeway. It is a stunning view and I would strongly recommend it! However I would not recommend it for young kids. The easement on the side of the road is wide but the barriers are fairly low.

The Causeway is 2.8 miles long consisting of two islands and three spans

QuickStart Guide over ….

Sanibel tolls, booth, sanibel Causeway, Punta Rassa, boat Ramp — Park under the Sanibel Causeway is a great spot to watch the sunset

The area around Punta Rassa and the Sanibel tolls:

When you visit Sanibel and Captiva you will inevitably have to drive across the 2.8 mile long Sanibel causeway. Before you get to the Sanibel tolls, you will approach along Summerlin Road. On your way you will pass the historical Bunche Beach and The Sanibel Outlet Mall (formally The Tanger Outlet Mall). Drive a little further and you reach Shell Point Retirement Community. I make this trip a couple of times a day (see the video of my motorcycle commute below) and this is how this blog post transpired: I was on my way to the studio the other morning and there are several billboards on the approach to Sanibel. At the entrance to Shell Point Retirement Community there are two billboards on opposite sides of Summerlin Road, I realized that I photographed both! Two separate businesses, one promoting the Shell Point Retirement Community and the other for the new Japanese Steakhouse called Shima, located at The Sundial Resort on Sanibel. That’s a first… ‘how cool’ I casually thought 🙂 But then I started thinking about all of the REALLY interesting things that happen on the last few miles of Summerlin Road, the area right before you get to the Sanibel Causeway and the toll booths. The area commercially coined ‘The Gateway to Sanibel’. I thought I would share some local knowledge of the area that I live and share some info that I think you may find interesting and useful.

Sanibel Causeway, toll booth, Captiva, Toll prices, punta rassa, boat ramp — Sanibel Toll Booth, three lanes onto the Island, one off. Right two lanes are cash only. Head through the left (yellow lane) if you have a transponder.

Punta Rassa is the area where the toll booths and the boat ramp are located. Named by the Spanish Conquistadors in the mid-16th Century (Punta Rasca, later changed to Punta Rassa, means ‘smooth’ or ‘flat point’ in Spanish). In the 1800s it was used by ranchers to load their livestock onto boats for export to Cuba. It was also the home of the Sanibel Ferry before the causeway was built in 1963. In 1898 Punta Rassa was the location for one of the main communication links between USA and Cuba. It was in the form of a telegraph cable that stretched about 160 miles along the seabed to Cuba. This telegraph was instrumental in the start of the Spanish-American War. A message was sent from Cuba that the USS Maine had been attacked in Havana Harbor, this caused outrage in the USA, which subsequently started the war.

Punta Rassa, boat ramp, fishing, saanibel Island, Fort Myers, Gulf of Mexico — The Punta Rassa boat ramp with the Sanibel Causeway in the background

A couple of miles before you get to the Sanibel Tolls via Summerlin Road you will pass John Morris Road. If you take a left down John Morris you will find Bunche Beach. Bunche Beach was at one time designated a ‘Coloreds Only’ beach. It is named after Ralph Bunche the first African American to win a Noble Peace Prize. Fortunately, it has come a long way since those days. It is a great spot to walk or hang out (as I’m sure it was back then). It has great views of Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel and you can walk about a mile to your left and about a half mile to your right. The whole area has been given a makeover recently, with improved parking and a building with facilities. You can also rent paddle boards and kayaks at Kayak Excursions. They are located at a concession stand about halfway along John Morris Road on the right hand side. The kayaking is phenomenal, not overcrowded with plenty of wildlife to see. The water in this area is part of The Great Calusa Blueway. I often take my kids to Bunche Beach for a sunset walk (see the video below). It’s great for kids at low tide; shallow pools, shells, and lots of marine life to be caught in nets.Bunche_beach_sunset

The area to the left of Summerlin Road along the final mile approach to the Sanibel Tolls is perfect for fishing! It’s not very obvious but take a look at high tide and you will see lots of locals wading out onto the grass flats (preferred hideout of sea trout and other species) Its like going ‘back-bay fishing’ without the need for a charter boat! You will need a fishing license if you are not a Florida Resident. Look for gaps in the foliage and you will see where people park. Want a real Florida fishing experience? Get an awesome custom rod made by local fisherman Dan James at Dan James Custom Rods. Just around the corner from Punta Rassa is the preferred tackle shop of locals and guides, Andersons Tackle Inc located on McGregor Blvd, it has the gear the fishing guides use, quality products like Calusa cast nets, not the touristy junk that a lot of stores carry. Need a spot of lunch? head over the road to The Crackerbox Resteraunt , the second oldest restaurant in Fort Myers. Nothing fancy, just real Florida. If you are the sort of person that would not want to wait for your server to finish singing Karaoke before getting you a beer, this may not be the place for you:)

Cracker Box Restaurant, the second oldest restaurant in Fort Myers, Nick Adams Photography — The famous Cracker Box Restaurant on McGregor Boulevard

For all you shoppers out there The Sanibel Outlet Mall is a hot favorite. Located just a couple of miles before the Sanibel tolls and causeway at the intersection of Mcgregor and Summerlin. It is a great place to hit after an early checkout or on your way to the island. Shops include: Polo, Coach, Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Sunglass Hut, Gap etc .

Lastly, The Sanibel Causeway has to be among the most beautiful journeys in the world, enjoy the view, take a deep breath and savor:) The best thing about it is, you have to do it all over again when you leave…. or maybe not:)

Sanibel tolls next to the boat ramp, punta Rassa, sanibel, Nick Adams Photography — Sunset from the boat ramp at Punta Rassa

Sanibel Tolls, Sundial Shima Resteraunt billboard, with photography by Nick Adams Photography — Sundials, Shima Restaurant billboard

Sanibel Tolls, Shell point commercial photography, photography by Nick Adams Photography, on Summerlin Road Fort Myers — Shell Point Retirement billboard

Just for fun

Prince’s Trust Charity, Prince Harry and Prince William Speak in a ITV interview

January 4, 2016 admin Leave a comment

Prince’s Trust Charity

Tonight in the UK, a special interview called 40 Years of The Prince’s Trust will be shown by ITV about The Prince’s Trust Charity. It features Prince William and Prince Harry talking about a charity their father, Prince Charles, started 40 years ago. It is a charity that is close to our hearts as it helped us get started in the photography business back in 1995.

For those of you that are unaware, The Prince’s Trust was started by Prince Charles in 1976. It was to give the underprivileged youth, business resources that would not normally be available to them. Loans, grants, premises and most importantly guidance. I can personally vouch for this charity and the work that it does. The Prince’s Trust helped me in so many ways and I am forever grateful

The Start of Nick Adams Photography

After going away to work as a ships photographer with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines I returned to England with my girlfriend and future wife, Lori. I was in the process of starting a photography business, more out of necessity than want. Photography jobs were few and far between at that point in England. Lori could not work as she only had a one year visitors visa, so she helped as much as she could. Whilst I was not actively looking for help to start the business knowing what I know now, I certainly could have used it. I had invested all of my cruise ships earnings into camera gear so I had that…but I was cash poor.

Although I would hardly consider my upbringing as ‘underprivileged’. At the time that I was starting my business, my family had fallen on hard times. It was right after the boom years of Margaret Thatchers Conservative government. Great Britain went into a huge economic decline. My father had just sold his two pubs and then went on to a change of careers. He started to train and work as a mortgage and investment advisor. Probably the worst time to do it. The money he got from the sale of the pubs bought him a modest house and little more. The reason I mention this is that in the past, my mother and father were very supportive of anything I did, they would give you the ‘shirt off their backs’ so to speak. This was a different time though. Whilst they would help with parental advice and guidance, financial help was out of the question. To be honest, at that time, I was not even looking for financial help as I could barely afford the film to go in my camera. So to think about getting a business loan would have been next to impossible.

My Dad, Colin was always on the look out for me. One of his clients had been a successful business man in his career and was telling my Dad about this charity, The Prince’s Trust. This gent had volunteered his time for the charity, as an advisor. Once he retired he wanted to ‘give back’ so to speak and offer young people like me advice and guidance about business. To cut a long story short, my Dad gave me a call and said I should contact the charity. I did and the rest is history.

What The Prince’s Trust Does

Once I got in contact with The Prince’s Trust, the ball started rolling fairly quickly. The first thing that you have to do is put a business plan together and present it to the charity. For me this was a daunting task as you have to stand in front of a panel of professionals and pitch your business/idea. It needn’t have been. They were very encouraging and these guys came across as though they wanted you to be successful. Almost your cheerleader to a certain degree. I got accepted by the charity and the first thing you do is make an appointment with a business consultant to refine your business plan. I then re-presented my plan to the board and was awarded a £2000 loan (which was to be repaid at a reduced interest rate) and a £500 grant. I was also offered a small premises at a converted school in Heybridge, Essex. Not only was the rent reduced but you started off rent free for the first 3 months, then 33% of the agreed rent for the next 3 months, then 66% for three months until you got to the full 100% of your rent. You could then stay in the premises for a maximum of two years. In this building you had a communal secretary, office equipment (you payed a small fee for services used) but most importantly there was an advisor at your disposal. I learned about accounting, I learned about risk/reward, I learned about planning and I learned about cash flow (and how my lack of it was crippling me). We even went on an adventure weekend to learn about teamwork, leadership and planning. I still use things today that I learned from these guys way back then. Although I ended up moving to America, the lessons The Prince’s Trust taught me, enabled me to set up my business in America very quickly. I was able to bypass most mistakes startups make.

I can personally vouch for this charity and the work that it does. I wish there was something like it in the US.

What this charity does for young entrepreneurs is phenomenal. What The Prince’s Trust did for Lori and I helped in so many ways. I am forever grateful to not only Prince Charles and his foresight to start the charity but the thousands of volunteers that give their time to make this happen.

Hopefully the show will be aired here in the United States and we can let Prince William and Prince Harry give us a way better insight into the way The Prince’s Trust works.

https://www.princes-trust.org.uk

Family Portraits, Island Info, Just for fun

Top Sanibel, Captiva Ice Cream Spots

December 14, 2015 admin Leave a comment

Top Sanibel, Captiva Ice Cream Spots

After your family portrait with Nick Adams Photography you should treat the kids (and yourself) to one of the top Sanibel, Captiva ice cream spots…. Go on you deserve it!!!!

Pinocchio’s Original Italian Ice Cream

Pinocchio’s serves 37 of the 130 + flavors from their repertoire each day. All of their ice cream is prepared daily right in their store from the finest and freshest ingredients. Among their signature flavors are the World Famous Sanibel Krunch©, Dirty Sand Dollar©, Wedding Bells© and Key Lime Frozen Yogurt. A great place to go after watching the sunset at the Sanibel Lighthouse.

Pinnochio’s Address: 362 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957

Sanibel Deli & Coffee Factory

The Sanibel Deli is located on Palm Ridge Road opposite CVS. As well as being one of the best delis on the Island it also serves frozen yogurt, hard serve ice cream, milkshakes, sundaes and flurries. It is also a place we will regularly be found getting “to-go” for lunch.

Sanibel Deli & Coffee Factory address: 2330 Palm Ridge Road Sanibel, FL 33957 Across from CVS

Zebra Treats

You can choose from 12 different flavors of delicious Honey Hill Farms frozen yogurt! – choose from fat free or low fat options, Add your choice of 52 toppings: fresh fruit, candies, cookies, nuts, chocolate…. Sprinkle your high school colors! Shake your football team! Rebel! Do your own thing! From kiwis to coconut, Reese’s to M&M’s minis, Boba’s to Butterfingers – check it out, choose and conquer! Zebra Treats is located in the Baileys Grocery Store shopping plaza.

Zebra Address: 2467 Periwinkle Way Sanibel Island, FL 33957

Love Boat

Love boat Ice cream is without a doubt the most famous ice cream in the area. Although it is fairly new to the island it has been an institution at its original location on San Carlos Blvd, Fort Myers since 1967. The original building is a single story building with architecture that matches the inception date but don’t be fooled by its looks, this ice cream shop is incredibly popular by tourists and locals alike. My personal fave is the banana split. They have over 50 flavors of homemade ice-cream. You can also get sundaes, shakes and sorbets. When mentioning top Sanibel, Captiva ice cream spots you cannot forget Love Boat. We are truly blessed to have a location on the island now. Thinking about it, I can’t believe they didn’t do it years ago!

Tie in a trip to Love Boat Ice Cream with a trip to the grocery store. Jerry’s Foods is right next door which is one of the two main grocery stores on the Islands, (the other being Bailey’s). Jerry’s is a great spot for the kids, there are several large bird cages that house exotic birds. You can get your ice cream and enjoy it alfresco amongst the birds and lush tropical greenery.

There are several other shops in the plaza including a restaurant in Jerry’s, a fantastic kids clothing store called Nanny’s and gift stores.

Love Boat Address: 1700 Periwinkle Way, Unit #9. Sanibel Island, FL 33957

Scoops Ice Cream Shoppe, Captiva

Fortunately if you are staying at South Seas Island Resort you have access to one of the coolest candy/ice cream/milkshake/pizza stores in the nation! no joke, it’s a kids haven! Hundreds of types of candy on the walls, a well stocked ice cream cooler, old fashioned soda dispensers, all set in a vibrant multicolored 50’s diner type setting. This place is so cool I have even taken brides in for a photo shoot. The only downside: if you are not staying at South Seas you won’t be able to use it:(

Latte Da coffee & ice cream shop

Latte da is known for serving the locally famous and excellent Queenie’s home made ice cream. Located at the historic Captiva Island Inn on Andy Rosse Lane, Captiva. Check out the amazing story of how a local island resident, Queenie started Queenie’s Ice cream here. Queenie’s ice cream is absolutely delicious and has to be included in the top Sanibel, Captiva Ice Cream Spots. It’s so good in fact, that many of the local restaurants use Queenie’s as their ice cream of choice…. Mmmmm must be good:)

Latte Da address: 11508 Andy Rosse Lane Captiva, FL 33924 239-472-0234

Island Info, Just for fun, Video

Sixty Seconds in Paradise

November 13, 2015 admin 2 Comments

I was out filming last night on Sanibel and Captiva Islands and I started to think about all of the people around the world that would like to be here right now. So I compiled this sixty second film (Sixty Seconds in Paradise) so that you can get your island fix:). Feel free to share. This was all shot over a three hour period. The young osprey are alongside the bridge at Blind Pass between Captiva and Sanibel and the roseate spoonbills were at The J.N ‘Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

Commercial/Headshot, Just for fun, Video, Weddings

Slow Motion Video Booth!

October 22, 2015 admin Leave a comment

Slow Motion Video Booth

This weekend we used our slow motion video booth for a wedding at The Sanctuary Golf Club on Sanibel Island. It really is a blast. We have a backdrop set up with lots of props on tables. It literally took a couple of minutes after it opened for everyone to start joining in the fun. The hilarious part is

Slow motion video booth

when people get to see the slow motion video clips right there and then on the screen. You could hear nothing but roaring laughter coming from the booth. The ironic part is that the bride said she wasn’t really “the photo booth type” luckily she trusted our judgment and it was a huge hit. We have had a photo booth for the last several years and while it is fun, this is on another level. You could see people returning to the dance floor laughing and joking….it’s infectious.

The finished product will be like the example video below but much longer. We take all the clips, vary the speeds add some cool music and voila!

If you are wondering how much space you would need: The backdrop is 9′ wide so the booth would need to be approximately 10’x20′ although we can scale down the size of the booth if we need to. It just means you would not be able to get as many people in it.

Call us about pricing, we have discounts for clients that book multiple services with us.

Shelby and Brandon were the Bride and Groom in this wedding. Look out for an upcoming feature on the blog. We are going

to showcase everything from the photography to the wedding film to the finished slow motion video… coming soon!

Sanibel Tolls,

Tolls for Cars: $6

Tolls for Motorcycles: $2

Bicycles are Free

Larger vehicles: $3 per axle

There is no charge to leave the island.

The causeway is open 24/7/365

You can use the statewide Sunpass transponder but you will be charged the full amount. Discount passes are available for locals at The Leeway Center.

If you do not have money or a transponder you can choose to go through the toll without stopping. Your license plate will be photographed and a bill will be sent to you for approximately $10. If you are in a rental car, the rental company may charge additional fees for collecting the payment.

Bicycles are allowed over the causeway. It is a stunning view and I would strongly recommend it! However I would not recommend it for young kids. The easement on the side of the road is wide but the barriers are fairly low.

The Causeway is 2.8 miles long consisting of two islands and three spans

Prince’s Trust Charity

The Start of Nick Adams Photography

What The Prince’s Trust Does

Top Sanibel, Captiva Ice Cream Spots

Latte Da coffee & ice cream shop

Slow Motion Video Booth

Professional beach portrait and wedding photographer on Sanibel and surrounding SW Florida areas.